The government file still fluctuates between negativity at times and positivity at other times, waiting to reach a decisive formula between the parties to the formation, so what is the latest information and details regarding this hot file?!
In this context, informed political sources reveal that “the government’s atmosphere is very negative, following a previous agreement that had occurred between President Najib Mikati and Minister Gibran Bassil regarding this file.”
The sources indicated, “Mikati retracted this agreement as a result of his rejection of Basilian dictates on the issue of formation, which required Hezbollah to intervene to recycle government engines. It is expected that a meeting will take place between Mikati and representatives of the party to restore the agreement.”
Sources close to the head of the “Free Patriotic Movement” MP Gebran Bassil consider that “the latter finds it difficult to a presidential vacuum because it serves the fortunes of Army Commander Joseph Aoun and increases his chances of reaching the presidency, and does not like the idea of loading President Michel Aoun with the burden of entering the country into the vacuum.”
Well-informed sources reveal that “President Aoun seems satisfied with what he has achieved in the matter of demarcation, so you find him not enthusiastic regarding forming a government, especially since he does not like to present a government on a silver platter to his opponents who have exhausted him with their demands and conditions.”
The sources pointed out that “Basil’s enthusiasm to end the government file exceeds President Aoun’s enthusiasm, so the sources seek the facilities provided by the son-in-law that exceed those of the President of the Republic.”
Regarding the details of the agreement, the sources indicated that “Aoun will give up the six political ministers in exchange for a party minister from the Free Patriotic Movement, Adi Maalouf, but there are obstacles to that. Maalouf cannot take the social affairs portfolio instead of the current minister, Hector Hajjar, because he does not have the technical expertise that Enjoy the latter.”
She considers that “this technical obstacle stems from his inability to run the ministry,” stressing that “President Mikati does not oppose his ministerial appointment.”
Regarding the details of Bassil’s meeting with the ministers in the government, the sources say: “Basil was frank with them and said that he did not know them before they were appointed, and he only knew two ministers, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice.”
And she continues, “Basil told them that their ministerial came from the premise of technocrats at that time, and today the stage requires the formation of a political government, and he wants to know the extent of their commitment to his political line.”
Regarding the portfolios that will be affected by the change, the sources clarified that “the change will take place at the level of the Ministry of Social Affairs. As for the Druze Minister of Displaced Persons, it will be agreed that the first word in it will be for both President Aoun and Minister Basil, in coordination with former MP Talal Arslan, provided that the minister’s personality is not provocative to Miqati.” .
And the sources continue, “Minister Basil had proposed Tariq Daoud to the ministry, because of the strong Lebanon bloc member Charbel Maroun’s victory in Daoud’s votes in the western Bekaa and Rashaya districts, but Bassil changed his name at the request of Hezbollah in order not to provoke Jumblatt.”
The sources added, “There is another minister who will be replaced from the Sunni quota, and he is the Minister of Economy.”
She pointed out that “two ministers were named by agreement between Mikati and Aoun, namely Economy Minister Amin Salam and Minister of State for Administrative Development Najla Riachi, and now it has been agreed that the economy will go to Mikati and development to Aoun.”
The sources explain: “Aoun and Basil chose a prominent financial figure from the Armenian Catholic community in agreement with the Tashnaq instead of Najla Riachi, and the choice was made for Mikati to choose a Sunni figure from Akkar for the economy.”
And she stresses that “Basil will change the foreign minister with a party figure, and the name is still kept secret.”
And the sources continue, “As for the Ministry of Finance, the current minister will be changed and replaced with Yassin Jaber, and the Ministry of Communications will go to Ziad Shalfoun.”
And she pointed out that “there is a point of contention between Bassil and Mikati. Bassil considers that the government signature and granting confidence are two separate recipes, and considers that each file has its own conditions, while Mikati stresses that the file should be one integrated.”
And she added, “Mikati goes towards facilitating, but what is surprising are the conditions that Bassil sets, which obstruct the path of this formation.”
The sources indicated that “the Amal movement was in an atmosphere that the government would be formed on Wednesday, and on Monday evening it instructed those close to the exchange of the dollar on the grounds that it will inevitably decline, but the surprise was the negativity of Mikati, which disrupted the formation path, causing the dollar to rise as a result of the increasing pressure on it.”
